When they were handing out the beautiful people, Paris got more than its fair share. It didn't do too badly in the style, sex and sophistication stakes either. Luckily, you can enjoy that special Parisian je ne sais quoi without leaving your own city. If you want to know hOW, read on. Words: Simone Baird Photographs: Steve Reid

There’s always some show-off mppmg across the Channel for a weekend of Gallrc hedonrsm. Get in there flrst, but save y0urself the bother of a) packing a surtcase and b) actually gomg to France, by followrng these easy steps.

Display your savoir faire by slrpprng Into a mrdnrght polo-neck, takrng y0ur coffee equally black and chewmg the bne about angsty French novels at Glasgow's Cafe Irtterarre club. They meet every Wednesday between

6—7.15pm at Allrance Francarse, 7 Bowmont Gardens. They’ll soon be drscussrng Jean- LOurse Bory’s Mon Village a L’heure A/lemande (Wed 24 Mart and Francms Weyergans’ La Vie D’un Bebe (Wed 14 Apr). Call 0141 339 4281 for further detarls. However, If you agree that a prcture rs worth a thOusand words, then perhaps you'd rather attend the photography exhrbrtron Henrr’ Cart/er- Bresson Portraits; Téte a Téte (National Gallery Of Modern Art, Belford

108 THE LIST 18 Var—1 Apr 1999

Road, Edrnburgh, untrl Sun 9 May. Call 0131 624 62001. Wrth Albert Camus, Edrth Praf and Colette among others, rt's well worth a Fook. Lower key, but JUSI as worthwhrle rs Par/'5: Espaces Passes, Presents Vertr‘ges (Instltut Francars D'Ecosse, 13 Randolph Crescent, 0131225 53661 an exhrbrtron of twenty small photographs by Phrlrp Grover, who spent a year rn Pans researchrng the 18th century. It runs untrl Sat 27 Mar.

Or try a VISII to the

theatre, French W/ndOWS IS at Edrnburgh‘s Traverse lCambrrdge Street, 0131 228 14041 on Sat 10 & Sun 11 Apr. ThIS ’mrse en espace' Ires somewhere between stage drrectron and publrc reading. Publ:c debate between the authors, actors and stage drrectors wrll follow the work.

Jean Lagarrrgue rs glvmg a lecture trtled 'L’art Editorial Des Slxtles' at the Edrnburgh College of Art (Laurrston Place, 0131221600010n Thu 15 Apr at 1.30pm. He

wrll be drscussrng the French role In revolutronrsrng newspaper and magazrne jOUmalISm rn the 60s

A great way to learn tradrtronal, famrly and ongrnal French reopes 15 ‘La Frne Bouche'. These gastronomic cooking lessons wrll be held monthly rn Glasgow at Allrance Francarse, 7 Bowmont Gardens from Frr 19 Mar, 7.30—9.30pm. Trckets are £10m advance. Call 0141339 4281. The best brt? You get to eat all the food afterwards

wrth a glass of wrne. Quallty bakeries are a great way to take the ’parn' out of frndrng decent French-style. Try Glasgow's Le Petrt Sable lGreat Western Road, Glasgow, 0141 334 13371 or Edrnburgh's La Solgne t32 Vrctorra Street, 0131 622 70801 for deerrous tradrtronal breads and pastnes.

If you enjoy adding a hanging out element to y0ur snackrng, then cafes are the only way to go. FOr coffee and crorssant paradise, head for Glasgow '5 Patrsserre Franc0rs t138 Byres